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Emergency

Program Overview:

Where we provide 24/7 quality emergency care

The Emergency Departments (ED) at TADH is designed to care for patients suffering from serious medical problems who are unable to wait to be seen by their family physician.

Specially trained doctors and nurses work as a team to provide the best possible care. The ED sees approximately 80-100 patients per day and is open 24 hours a day.

Triage

When you arrive at the ED, you will be greeted by one of our triage nurses. The nurses are skilled in triage, which is a system used to make sure the sickest patients are taken care of right away. The nurse will assess your condition as quickly as possible by talking to you about the reasons that you came for emergency care, your allergies and the medication that you take. If necessary, the nurse will check your temperature, pulse and blood pressure and provide immediate care. Once you have seen the triage nurse, you may be taken immediately into the department, or asked to register and wait in the waiting room. This triage system allows patients to be seen according to the severity of their illness.

Areas in the Emergency Department

The ED has a separate entrance for the arrival of ambulances; these patients are also triaged so care can be provided for the sickest patients first. The ED also has separate areas for the most seriously ill patients. There is another area for people who are less seriously ill, and are able to walk or move with little or no assistance.

Why is there a Waiting Time in the Emergency Department?

The team works to provide quality care as quickly as possible. The most seriously ill patients are seen first even though they may come into the department after other patients. This is why the triage nurse checks everyone as soon as possible after they arrive.

Some patients have made arrangements to see their family doctor or a specialist in the ED. When the family doctor or specialist arrives, the patient will be seen by that doctor.

There are many different types of rooms with specialized equipment needed for different medical problems such as the isolation room or the trauma room. In this case, arrangements must be made to free the room before this type of care can be given.

We appreciate your patience if you are required to wait.

While waiting, if you have questions or you feel your condition has become worse, please let the triage nurse know right away. The triage nurse will also be checking with you regularly.

Reasons for delays

The ED may appear quiet in the waiting room, but it may be very busy in the area where patients are being treated. We do our best to care for you as quickly as possible. Your co-operation helps us provide more timely care.
Your treatment in the Emergency Department may take several hours depending on the following:

Whether or not you require tests

Whether or not you require immediate test results

Whether or not the emergency physician needs to consult a specialist

If admission to the hospital is required, a bed will be arranged for you. Note that if it is an emergency admission and not a scheduled one, a bed may not be immediately available.

Important Things to Bring

Your health card number.

A list of the medications that you take. If you have an accurate and up-to-date list, this will be sufficient. If you do not have time to make a list, please bring the bottles.

Any records you may have concerning your health.

If you are accompanying a child, please remember to bring diapers and the child's favourite toy or activity book.

Our Team:

The Emergency Department Team

An Emergency doctor is responsible for the department and is on duty at all times. There will also be other doctors called residents. Residents have their medical degrees and can practice while they continue their training under supervision. Medical students supervised by other doctors may also be involved with your care. The nurses and doctors are assisted by other health care workers such as physician assistants, clerks, respiratory therapists, ECG technologists, pharmacists, social workers, volunteers and porters.

Community Resources:

You Have Other Choices

Residents of the City of Timmins and its surrounding area are encouraged to consider alternative healthcare choices in the city for treatment of non-urgent medical conditions.

Visit Your Family Doctor

For less urgent problems, your first choice is to call your family doctor. Make sure that you know the office hours and what plans are made for patients when the office is closed. Also, find out what you should do when your doctor is away on vacation. If you have questions about your medications, feel free to talk to your pharmacist or family doctor.

Timmins After Hours Medical Clinic
Shoppers Drug Mart Building
227 Algonquin Blvd. West (Shopper’s) Timmins, ON (705) 268-3858
The After Hours Medical Clinic offers the services of a physician. Please contact the clinic directly to verify the hours and days of operation.

Timmins Medical Clinic
119 Pine Street South (Pine Plaza) Timmins, ON (705) 264-5555
The Medical Clinic offers the services of a physician. Please contact the clinic directly to verify the hours and days of operation.

Telehealth Ontario 1-866-797-0000
1-866-797-0007 (TTY)
Telehealth Ontario is a service available to all residents at any time of the day or week. A registered nurse can provide free general health information and advice. The nurse may assist in determining your next course of action. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.

Telephone Health Advisory Advice 1-866-553-7205 TTY: 1-866-250-3379
The Telephone Health Advisory Advice Program is a service to provide free health information and advice available only to patients of a Family Health Team. This service is only available from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am Monday to Friday.